


Unbalanced Scales

by RedsAdmin



Category: South Park
Genre: AU, Alpha Eric Cartman, Alpha Stan Marsh, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Beta Leopold "Butters" Stotch, Implied Kenny/Butters, Implied Kyle Broflovski/Stan Marsh, M/M, Omega Christophe, Omega Kyle Broflovski, Omega Verse, South Park: The Stick of Truth, Stick of Truth AU, alpha gregory, and change the rating, but the main focus will be Christophe/Gregory, fighters of zaron, i may or may not elaborate on all the background ships, it'll happen in the future in the background, other characters may appear as well, probably will have smut later, there will be tweek/craig, will add more tags later, yes - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2019-12-30 19:11:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18321476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedsAdmin/pseuds/RedsAdmin
Summary: In the land of Zaron, a curse is sweeping the land, killing off the alphas. It is up to a group of brave a noble souls (cough) to defeat the curse and return balance to the world.Gregory with the company of Christophe must investigate the cause behind the curse and find out who created it. The travel along the way, they must face their own history and return balance to their own relationship before they can truly repair the balance of the world as well.Further info inside.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, yes, its ya boi Red.
> 
> I know this isn't really a popular ship in the South Park fandom, but I really enjoy them.
> 
> I needed to get this idea out of my head, so I thought I might as well share it to the few readers who share the love for Christophe and Gregory.
> 
> This story is based LOOSELY on Stick of Truth / Fighters of Zaron. I took some creative freedom to mold them to the world I wanted, so if its not strictly following canon, well, I told you.
> 
> I do have some dos and don'ts when I write Omegaverse, if you haven't read my previous omega stories well, you're in for a surprise. 
> 
> Comments and kudos really do a lot to motivate me to write more. Just send me weird lenny faces and I'll be fuckin' over the moon for you. I will do my best to reply back as well. Interacting with my readers is my kink.
> 
> Also, I'll be trying to write 2k words per chapter as a goal. A low bar because I'm weak.
> 
> If you have any questions hmu in the comments or on my [tumblr](https://redsdesktop.tumblr.com/) page.

The sound of hooves on dirt had faded into background noise, the group had traveled for days to gain council of one man. Most of the group disagreed with the councilor's request to travel across the land to the fringes of civilization for a single person, especially in such a dire hour. However, the councilor was highly revered and his advice and charisma had swayed them, though it had not quelled their complaints along the way.  
"How much longer? Traveling on horseback seems to be something more fit for commoners." Of course, it would be the self proclaimed wizard king who would be the most vocal about his complaints. However, the golden haired councilor simply ignored the portly male in favor of admiring the scenery. The rolling hills, only a few cliffs with their gray, weathered sides marring the greenery every so often. It was lush. And vacant.  
"We'll get there when we get there, if you didn't want to come, you should've stayed on your plush seat back at your castle." While the councilor had refused to take the bait from the wizard, their more nature-friendly elf simply couldn't resist. Then again, the alliance between elves and humans was still new and fragile after years of fighting and distrust. Such things seemed inconsequential to the likes of the councilor, there would always be fighting in this world and it was his duty to make sure justice prevailed. 

As they mounted a hill, the councilor gaze down at the shallow valley below, nestled against one of the small cliffs was a house, if one could call it that. A small shack was more adequate of a description, something that could be easily missed if one didn't know where to look. However, the owner of such a house could never hide from the councilor, no matter how far he ran away from the civilized world. The councilor nudged his heels into the side of his white horse, urging him to continue his pace down the gradual slope. The path was narrow, but with the grassy fields there was no need for concern about trees or rocks causing the horses to divert their pathing.  
As they gained ground to the house, he could see the assortment of goats loitering around, lazily eating grass in the warm sun or relaxing in the cool shade of the cliff, chewing their cud. It all looked serene and peaceful, as if the news of the world beyond did not reach here. Until now. 

"Christophe?" The councilor called out, trying to see where the man was. However, there was no response, but that didn't really surprise the councilor as he dismounted from his cremello horse, his soft leather boots thumping on the ground with ease. He looked around, but he couldn't detect movement from within the house nor did he see anyone out in the tall grass. "Christophe? I know you're here, answer me already."

Nothing. The lack of response was fairly annoying, but then again he should've expected such. Sure, it had been quite some time since he'd been in the company of the other man, but stubbornness had always been a key trait of Christophe. Seeing how Christophe refused to answer his call, the councilor began to focus a bit more, stepping out into the waves of tall grass, the goats lifting their heads to lazily stare at him, unpreturbed by his presence. Following the the traces, the councilor looked down at a patch of flattened grass and in the middle of it was the smug bastard he'd come for. 

With attired that was near threadbared, torn and rugged, olive skin smudged with dirt and sweat, Christophe looked like a beggar more than anything. Fitting for a man living out here with a bunch of goats. He looked like he was sound asleep, but the councilor knew better, such a paranoid man would've been aware of the company the moment they climbed the hill to his little valley. "Christophe, why didn't you answer me when I called for you?"  
"I was too busy ignoring you." Came a gruff reply, the low voice slightly hinted of an accent, one that only the councilor could likely place. 

"You've ignored me long enough. Now get up, you've got company." The councilor gave the dirty male a slightly harsh kick to the side, which only gained a grunt from him.

"Tell the company to leave." Christophe growled but regardless, he pushed himself up onto his feet. For such a lean man, Christophe was shorter than the councilor by a good deal. The way he carried himself though spoke volumes, danger, aggression, things something wouldn't expect from the likes of his nature. Christophe mossy green eyes looked over at the group who had already dismounted their horses and looking curiously over at the pair.

"This some joke? Three humans and an elf walk into a goat farm." Christophe bit out with annoyance, though his tone was always like that, just as the councilor remembered. "I don't care what you've come for. I told you I was done playing your games, Gregory."

It had been even longer since the councilor had heard his name, but Christophe had been the last one to use it. While technically it wasn't his true name, it was the one he was most familiar with. One that Christophe had called him by... Along with a few other choice curses.

"I wouldn't have come if it wasn't important, you're already aware of that." Gregory retorted, but he was already walking back towards the house. As expected, Christophe followed, albeit reluctantly. "Invite us in, its been a long journey and we'd like to rest."

"Demanding as usual." Christophe grumbled as he opened the door and stepped inside the shack. Despite its small size, it looked spacious inside, but only because Christophe was a man of few worldly possessions. He had to pull small crates and barrels out to act as seat for his company, though Gregory chose to sit on the bed, which wasn't exactly comfortable but moreso than the wood. It was an act that Christophe frowned at, a bed was something personal and to sit on one could mean a lot of things, none of which Christophe cared for. 

There was little to be done, Christophe digging up old manners he thought he'd buried long ago. If Gregory had not been there, they would all be outside on the ground, if Christophe had allowed them to stay long enough to hear them out. He handed out cups or bowls, since Christophe didn't expect to have company. Ever. So they'd have to drink out of whatever he had on hand.

"First, its only common courtesy to introduce our guests." Gregory started. He motioned first to the slightly heavier out of the group, his finely made garb was dusty and wrinkled from travel but the brown haired male still managed to hold himself with some sort of regality. "This is the Wizard King, Eric. He is the one who called a meeting about the current state of the world. He, alongside Princess Kenny, rule the human kingdom. Princess Kenny stayed behind to govern the kingdom while we are away."

Gregory then motioned to the slightly anxious but none-the-less cheery looking blond who sat near the wizard king. "This here is the paladin, Leopold. He is Eric's royal escort." Christophe tilted his head, focusing in on the smells now that they were indoors, taking his time to identify them one by one. The one named Eric, had the strong scent of pine oil, which meant an alpha. His paladin on the other hand was a bit more difficult. His scent faint, like watered down syrup, likely a beta.

"Next is the high elf king, Kyle." Gregory indicated the red haired male, he had fair skin and a noble look about him, but the fire in his eyes told another story. He scented of the woods, strong but underlying tones of floral, an omega trying his best to rule. "And his own royal escort, the ranger known as Stan Marshwalker." The black haired human looked quite, assessing with a stubborn set to his brow, he set close to the elf king as if no longer trusting others. The scent he gave off was subtle but there, of winter and crisp mountain air too thin. 

Christophe scowled, it was unusually for an elf to take a human on as a royal escort, though he supposed he had been out of the loop for a good while. That and he didn't care enough to ask. For Gregory to bring strangers to see him of all people meant he was desperate and that meant Christophe was going to suffer the biggest headache. 

"And this, my friends, is Christophe-" "The goat farmer?" The wizard King interrupted, causing Leopold to snicker a bit at the insult. That received them a lofty glare from Gregory which did silence the paladin but only made the wizard look away stubbornly. "The infiltrator. No one else in this land can match his ability."

"You say it like its something I'm proud of." Christophe sighed out and took a seat on his bed, keeping a reasonable space between himself and Gregory. "So, oh mighty cousilor, why have you graced me with your presence this time."

Before Gregory could respond, the wizard spat and sputter after taking a drink from his cup, coughing before taking the handkerchief handed to him by Leopold to clean his mouth. "What the fuck is this? Are you trying to poison me?"

"Its goat's milk. What else did you expect, your highness?" Christophe's tone made the title sound derogatory. Only the wizard king seemed to complain, the paladin seemed reluctant to drink but too meek to say anything. The Elf King and his human escort seemed to be more accustomed to milk. Gregory seemed to be sipping his drink as if it was fine wine.

"As a king, I expected to be treated with the best. Hold on, what the hell are you drinking?" Eric stood up, glaring at Gregory who didn't seem all too concerned by the act.

"Wine. Christophe always keeps a bottle for me." Gregory took another pointed sip from his cup.

"Why does he get wine?"

"Who are you again?" Christophe idly countered.

"The wizard king, the greatest of all wizards, and you will respect my title!"

"Sorry, never heard of you." Though, Christophe didn't sound too apologetic. "I only serve under Gregory, everyone else is lucky they get anything to drink. Now tell me why you're all here before I get impatient."  
Gregory sighed out, watching as the paladin helped calm the wizard king down to sit back down on his seat. Once everything was settled, Gregory began to explain. "There is a new curse spreading like the plague across the land. It only seems to be effecting alphas, its slowly killing them."

Christophe folds his arms over his chest, closing his eyes before giving a snort. "You sure its not a blessing?" His comment seemed to surprise his company, all aside from Gregory. In this land, alphas were revered as needed to keep civilization going, just as every other dynamic. It appeared that society had changed. Before Christophe had left the civilized world, alphas held every position of true power. Omegas were, in most cases, treated as either second class citizens or property. There were a few rare cases, but those rare cases were always under constant bombardment from others and a struggle to keep.

"Christophe, alphas are just as needed as other dynamics are. If one should fall, there would be an unbalance and who knows what sort of devastation would fall on the world." Gregory said gently, as if condescending to Christophe, which made the 'goat farmer' crack open his eyes and give the councilor a warning look. 

"I don't care." Christophe stated with certainty, but only for a moment before muttering a curse under his breath. "But I assume you're not leaving me a bloody choice in this matter are you?"

Gregory looked down at his lap, a sign of guilt and Christophe almost believed it. "No, you do not."


	2. Chapter 2

"So how do you know Gregory, Sir Christophe?" The blond paladin ask, he'd been the only one to really bother making an effort to talk to the weathered mercenary.

"Stop with the 'sir', its just Christophe." He tugged out a waterskin from his saddlebag, taking a small pull from it, he'd been born and raised to ration, no matter how plentiful he may have at the time. Old habits die hard. "We met when I had a knife in his back."

This seemed to come to some surprise to the paladin, though with how much knowledge he'd gained of his current company, Christophe could assume why. Leopold seemed to hold an optimistic view of the world, despite how badly the Wizard King seemed to treat him. He hated the whole dynamic between Leopold and the other three. However, he weathered it, for now. Getting concerned about the welfare of others would only come back and bite him in the ass, it always did. 

"I thought you and Councilor Gregory were good friends, he wouldn't put so much faith in you otherwise." Leopold pointed out, while the innocent may believe such lofty notions, Christophe wasn't fooled, he never had been. 

"He's a pompous prick and a bastard, kid." Christophe capped his waterskin and put it back in his saddlebag. They'd been traveling a little over a week with very little rest. It appeared that this curse seemed to be wearing on everyone, with the majority of the company alphas, Christophe could see why. 

"I-I happen to be an adult, you know. You can't be that much older than me, sir- I mean Christophe." Leopold sounded offended, a sign that maybe he spent too much time trying to prove himself. That alone was worrying, those guided by such notions did foolish, reckless things. It was always a gamble, one Christophe would never take.

"I'm old enough to call you a kid. If you were smarter that a pig's ass, you'd return back home." Christophe looked over at the paladin, already knowing his warnings would go unheeded. A man with morals would only truly get in Christophe's way, he wasn't a good man and he didn't want someone with a sense of righteousness screw this entire plan up.

"I can't do that, the Princess is counting on me." Leopold's words seemed set in stone, Christophe dropped the topic there. He recognized such a tone, anyone who had it was senseless and it would be like arguing with a brick wall.

The cremello horse in front of his own drew to a stop, causing his own dark bay gelding to draw to a halt. Christophe looked up from his musings, there was thin wisps of smoke rising up into the air, the trees barren of foliage, their skeletal remains reaching up in the last rites, clawing for the heavens with blackened fingers. Fire and ash.

When Gregory dismounted from his horse, Christophe followed suit, moving past the horses to get a better view.As he stood beside Gregory, a small village lay in ruins before him. Charred walls, vacant rooves. He could still hear the faint smoldering crackle of lingering fires, too stubborn and greedy to go out. Strew about the ruined dirt paths were bodies, some caught trying to run away, others trying in vain to protect those they cared about. The massacre had been thorough and Christophe doubted anyone had managed to survive such a methodical killing.

"What in God's name.." Leopold spoke first, breaking the tense silence as Christophe crouched down at the ashen remains of what appeared to be a young woman.

"God? No, God fucked off long ago." Christophe muttered under his breath as he brushed his dirt covered fingers over the woman's skin, feeling bits of it crumble under such a light touch.

"What the hell is going on here?" Eric finally decided to join the conversation. "We're supposed to be investigating the curse here, there haven't been any bandit attacks in over a year!" He narrowed his eyes, studying the carnage before him before looking over to the side, catching sight of Kyle and Stan moving up to join the rest. "Unless it was the elves trying to backstab us while we're vulnerable, I wouldn't put it past you pointy eared assholes."

Fire lit in Kyle's eyes, all too easily riled by the Wizard King's words. "Why would we do something like this, fatass? This curse effects both humans and elves! We're just as vulnerable as you are!"

"Quite frankly, the both of you should shut up already, I'm tired of your bickering." Gregory intervened with a simple raise of his brow. "Who knows if the culprits behind this attack are still lingering nearby and I would prefer if we not attract unwanted attention." That seemed to be well enough to quieten the two for the time being, though how long that would last was unknown as the two kings were still glaring at each other.

"Christophe, scout the area, figure out what transpired here and then report back to me. The rest of you stay close, I don't want you trampling over the evidence." Gregory instructed, receiving a annoyed growl from Christophe but that was all the protest he made before standing up and slinking further into the village.

Considering the amount of people in the street, it was likely the houses had been set on fire first, to force the villagers out of their homes and into the open. Crouching down next to a young man, likely a farmer, decently built, could probably handle his own against a untrained bandit or two. However, as he pushed the corpse onto his back, there was something odd. There wasn't any wounds. No blade or arrow had pierced his flesh. The cause of his death had been being burned. It was unusual, but before Christophe came to any conclusions, he needed to examine other bodies.

Body after body, there was nothing but charred flesh, a few had already been feasted upon by scavengers but the result was the same. Having gained enough evidence of a decent enough conclusion, Christophe returned to the group. The horses pawed at the earth, disturbed by the smell of fire and burnt flesh. Even the humans and elves seemed slightly put off by the very feel lingering in the air.

"Report." Gregory seemed at ease, unlike their company. Such ravaged lands and people, it wasn't the first time either of them had encountered such a scene.

"I found no survivors, though who'd want to survive this hell anyways." Christophe pulled up the cloth that had been tied around his neck, using it to clear away the smoke and sweat staining his weathered face. "Everyone appears to have died from fire."

"I see." Was all Gregory said.

"You see? What the hell is going on here, Gregory? This-" Christophe motioned to the destruction behind him, "-This is supposed to be here."

"What's he talking about?" Stan spoke up, his growing concern was warranted. "Who did this?"

"Échelle." Christophe spat out, turning away to rub his face in frustration.

"What? What did he say?" Eric stepped forward, pointing a finger at Christophe, who curled his lip in return.

"I don't recognize that language either." Kyle added, looking concerned. For an long lived elf, it was rare for him to come across a language he did not know.

"It is the shortened term for dragons." Gregory's expression was grim, staring up at the sky as if just speaking their name would summon them. 

"Dragons? Th-those are just a myth, right fella's?" Leopold sounded frightened now, it was about time he took the gravity of the situation more seriously.

"Is that what they say in the civilized world these days? Too afraid to ever admit such fearsome beasts ever existed." Christophe moved closer to Leopold, a low rumble forming in the back of his throat, he was tense. "Its by pure luck that the humans managed to knock them off their seat of power, but the mere idea of having stolen the throne was too much for the greed of men."

"But, if the stories of old true, weren't the dragons' number so severely depleted that the remaining few retreated to the far north?" Kyle's brows were furrowed, not even the elves wanted to believe, but Christophe couldn't blame them. A curse, that was something they could possibly deal with. Add dragons to the mix and things tended to get... a little complicated.

"Something must have drawn them back." Gregory sighed, no longer able to keep his noble facade. The voice gained Christophe's attention, turning his forest green eyes back to the fair haired councilor. "This curse, it wasn't the dragonfolk, something like this isn't as grand. This curse speaks of more nefarious deeds. And they certainly wouldn't play their hand this boldly. This, this is revenge."

"Revenge?" Christophe turned away from the rest of their company, having figured out that they were lacking the knowledge required for this portion of the investigation. They seemed to protest the exclusion, at least the Wizard King did. "After all this time, you think they want their throne back?"

"I'm not quite certain of that. Even after so long, their forces would not be strong enough to face off against both humans and elves. I have not heard any word of dragon disturbances, so this is a surprise." Gregory looked over at Christophe, it was very rare that Gregory met Christophe's gaze, a strange habit considering their dynamics, but not their history. Christophe felt uneasy looking into those light blue eyes.

For so long, Christophe had tried to forget Gregory, nothing ever seemed to work. No amount of space, no amount of work could put what happened out of his mind. He loathed it, loathed the man himself with every fiber of his being. He knew rationally that Gregory would use him, Christophe had always been a means to an end for Gregory. The man was far more ambitious, far more dangerous than any living creature in this world. At least to Christophe. To the dirty farmer, Gregory owned a part of him that no one else had achieved, their fates so tied together that Christophe had given up hope long ago of avoiding.

Gregory's gaze softened, just for a moment. So deceptive that even Christophe's heart fell for such a paltry trick. It had been far too long and yet, not long enough. Christophe clenched his jaw, making a muscle tick in his cheek, a motion that did not go unnoticed by Gregory. The blond gave a half smile, amusement lighting his eyes, humored by Christophe's ire. It was always irritation, always grating on his nerves how eager Gregory was to test him, to poke and prod to see how long it took before Christophe finally snapped. The sadistic bastard.

Christophe wasn't certain when, but Gregory was closer, not by much but he was well aware of the blond's position at all times. His entire focus was on the taller male, the others in their company, their bickering seemed muffled background noise. Christophe knew he was being drawn in, toyed with, it had happened so many times before and yet he could never defend himself against it. The scent of warm tea brushed across his nose, the familiar scent of Gregory. It turned his more primitive side into putty and that alone made him irritable. Weakness would not be tolerated withing Christophe's life and Gregory had a way of bringing it out of him.

"So, what will you have us do now, Gregory?" Christophe's words were a rough whisper, as if already knowing what the blond would say to him. However, he needed to hear it, to hear this crazy idea that Gregory schemed up in a moment's notice. Thinking on the fly, adapting to his surroundings in an instant was Gregory's specialty. He always had a plan, but he was always flexible with it, bending and adding to fit whatever problem revealed itself to them.

"I'm going to do my job and hold a council with the dragons."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, dragons?
> 
> Of course, I'm a writer, why wouldn't there be dragons, I'm too weak to pass up such a cliche.
> 
> I'm more surprised that I actually typed up another chapter.
> 
> Don't forget to leave kudos, buddy.


	3. Chapter 3

"Can I speak with you for a second?" Christophe's tone was terse as the group dismounted from their horses. They had traveled a bit a ways from the town, far enough that the smell of burnt flesh no longer lingered in the air. 

Gregory didn't look like he wanted to agree to Christophe's veiled demand, but regardless, he looked over to their company. "We'll set up camp here. I'll fetch some firewood for the evening." He gave a gesture with his hand before moving towards the woods, might as well do something productive while they talked. Christophe had always found that doing a task while discussing heavy matters helped focus his mind anyways. Once they were far away enough from the camp to not be overheard, Christophe finally spoke up.

"Are you fuckin' insane? Going to talk with dragons, Gregory?" Christophe bit out through a clenched jaw, the idea that Gregory drug him out on the beginnings of this adventure only to do something stupid only proved to Christophe that this mission was a failure from the start. Without Gregory, this ragtag group would fall apart, bickering and fighting among themselves. Which was why such a ailment had fallen on this land in the first place.

|Aw, that's sweet Christophe. You do actually care about me after all this time?" Gregory teased, his blue eyes hinting of such sardonic humor, it had always been enough to needle away at Christophe's balance. "We can't possibly fight the dragons and by the time we've spread the word, most of the able bodied warriors would be dead."

It took a moment to understand what Gregory had meant by dead warriors, when he understood he look more annoyed, turning away from Gregory for a moment, running a hand over his mouth as if he couldn't believe Gregory's words. However, he was right, of course. Alphas made up the vast majority of warriors in the kingdom, it was only in recent years that omegas could actually join the legal army. Before, an omega had been forbidden to do any sort of combat. That had been a bit of a pain in Christophe's ass, but he'd managed to get away with it, only because he was fairly decent at lying and covering up his own dynamic. 

"If they're torching villages, I don't think they'll want to talk. They'll especially enjoy turning you into a crisp, if they even bother with the mercy." Christophe broke off some sticks off a fallen branch, he didn't want to bother dragging the entire branch back. "What's your plan, you didn't drag me along with you just to get killed on the first monster we stumble across." Gregory always had a motive, a plan, but he was rarely ever forthcoming with his thoughts. The less details people knew, the better in Gregory's opinion. Christophe had always hated how the man worked, just another reason why Christophe had left.

"Christophe." Gregory's sober tone drew him in, causing him to look away from what he was doing, giving Gregory his attention. "I brought you along because I may not see you again."

"Well, that was sort of the fuckin' point of me running away." Christophe frowned, Gregory didn't have to let Christophe leave, the man had all the power to keep Christophe in servitude and yet he hadn't. Now he wanted to see him again? |What are you not telling me, Gregory?" Christophe turned to fully face the blond, suspicious of whatever Gregory was planning behind the scenes. Secrets, lies, deceiving, Gregory was all too familiar with it. And Christophe was all too familiar with Gregory.

"You know I won't give you the reasons, Christophe. Its better that you don't know." Gregory looked like he had challenge in his eyes, cutting Christophe out of this secluded place Gregory had cornered himself in. It annoyed Christophe, the man was talking about things as it it were the end of days, but Christophe clung to whatever scrap he could find. Christophe had no faith in the world or the afterlife, but he'd be damned if he'd just roll over and die like a coward and he wouldn't allow Gregory to do so either. No matter how much he hated the man.

He moved, in a blink of an eye Christophe had ditched the armful of sticks to seize Gregory by the collar of his tunic and shove him back against the tree. Gregory didn't struggle, he'd dealt with Christophe's temper enough times to be used to it. "Fuck you if you think you can still make decisions for me. I'm sick of the shit, Gregory. Tell me. Say it!" Christophe growled, the more worked up he got, the clear the answer was, but he wanted to hear it from Gregory's own lips, needed that confirmation.

"You haven't changed at all, 'Tophe." Gregory stated with endearment in his tone, making Christophe's gaze narrow and a growl rumble up from the back of his throat. "I'm afflicted with the curse, so you understand my reasoning for doing this now?"

Christophe tightened his grip, causing the fabric of Gregory's tunic to tighten around his throat but still he didn't struggle. "How long?" His voice was like gravel, strained with anger and other emotions he didn't want to acknowledge. Ever.

"I've carried the curse for a couple of weeks now. I've managed to slow the progress down." Gregory looked almost apologetic, he'd already given up on any hope of surviving it. The idea alone was enough to jerk Gregory forward a little before slamming him harder against the tree, trying to knock some sense into him. At the violent insistence, Gregory continued. "I have a few months left, I wanted to spend some time with you in case things fell through."

"You're still the same asshole as ever." Christophe snarled before shoving himself away from Gregory, turning around, unable to bear the sight of Gregory at the moment. He couldn't think clearly whenever he looked at Gregory, the man was his greatest weakness, it was far too dangerous being around him. Christophe didn't think with his brain, which was his number one rule. The heart was weak, soft and couldn't make the right decisions. The mind was strong, logical, and had saved his skin more times than he could count. 

"'Tophe." The nickname sounded off right next to his ear. Christophe hadn't even heard Gregory move, but now he was right behind him, whispering into his ear as if trying to soothe a feral animal. Christophe turned his head away in rejection, he wouldn't fall for that, not ever again.

"I won't fall for your wiles again, Gregory. Don't be a idiotic romantic and go off getting yourself killed. If you do, then I hope you rot in hell." Christophe shoved his elbow back into Gregory's abdomen, planning on storming away with this knowledge weighing heavily on him. However, when he took a single step, a iron grip cuffed his upper arm and yanked hard. Christophe found himself drawn to a stop by bumping into Gregory's body. This was far too dangerous of a predicament, he couldn't risk being this close to him. It'd been so long since he'd felt the warmth of the taller male's body, not as hard and lean as Christophe's own but still holding a graceful power that radiated from him. Addicting if one wasn't prepared.

Fingers skated over his cheek, the slight rasp of his scruff brushing against bared fingertips. Gregory rarely ever took off his gloves, making Christophe wonder how many people Gregory had ever touched in his lifetime. It was tempting, to simply forget all the troubles, all the problems in the world and melt into the touch. He had been stressed for so long, distrusting everyone and everything that he couldn't remember when the last time he'd let his guard down but he was certain it had been with Gregory. "I've missed you, beyond comprehension." The softly spoken words were like honeyed tea, warm, relaxing, slowly eating away at all resistance.

Christophe raised one of his own hands, pressing it over Gregory's, capturing it against his cheek as he opened his eyes, looking up to meet Gregory's. No one had ever looked at him like that, with complete focus and adoration. People had feared him, had found his manners and nature too coarse to ever remain in his presence. With Gregory, it had only intrigued him, drawn him in. It was like an obsession that Christophe couldn't break. Time, distance, harsh words, nothing seemed to deter Gregory from what he seemed to consider a prize. While Christophe continued to reject Gregory, he had never bothered to take interest in another, no one else had managed to work their way past all of Christophe's guards and exploit him so thoroughly.

"I will never belong to you, you selfish prick." Christophe broke the spell as he shoved the hand away, too many memories that had been drawn up. He'd do his job and nothing more, once this was done, his debt would be paid and he'd never see Gregory again. He didn't give any second thought to the odd pang in his chest, his heart had dragged him into this mess so long ago and now Christophe had to pay the consequences. He tossed Gregory's hand away and stepped back, retreating to pick up the sticks he collected and returned to the temporary camp they'd left the four idiots to set up. 

Leopold was the first to notice his return, without Gregory. "Oh hey, Christophe, did you lose the councilor out there?" The paladin looked out into the woods, almost nervously. "He better come back before it gets dark, the woods sure are a bit scary when it gets nighttime."

Christophe dumped the pile of sticks inn the center of camp with a agitated motion. "We would be far too lucky if that golden haired bastard got ate by a pack of wolves." Christophe went over to his horse who had been tied up to a tree, pulling off his sleeping bag. "Don't get your underwear in a twist, kid. He always has a way of showing back up, even when its unwanted." He dropped the roll onto the ground, watching as the ranger called Stan seemed to be working on making a fire. It appeared they weren't all completely useless at least.

"You, uh, wanna' talk about it? As a paladin, I've got a small bit of know how when it comes to confession." Leopold asked as he sat down next to Christophe. "Though, its mostly just from me watchin' visitors come into the Church while I was trainin', but its better than nothing, yeah?" It seemed a little quiet, making Christophe aware that the two kings were listening in when they were usually bickering. Knowing Gregory, his presence was likely an unknown, it was impossible to ever dig up information on the councilor. Gregory was basically a ghost, no records, no friends or family. Until now, Christophe highly doubted that Gregory even spoke a single word about him in their long separation.

Even after running away, he still seemed to belong to Gregory. No one knew about Christophe either, not anymore at least. Gregory had been thorough in every aspect of his life and Christophe had been a part of it. So even he had been erased from common knowledge. Which in reality, Christophe didn't particularly mind at all, he had enjoyed his isolation, away from the bullshit people offered. Just him and nothing else. Well, except the goats. 

"Kid, you're real sweet and all." Christophe opened his travel bag to forage out some dried meat. He looked over at Leopold, his innocent expression made Christophe believe the boy hadn't seen a real battle in his life. Christophe didn't know much about any of the company, so he wouldn't make too permanent of a judgement, but for now Leopold gave off the impression of a boy who hadn't yet been stained by the cruelty of this world. "But this fucked up situation isn't something that fuckface God or any of use rats can fix."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, you know how life works.
> 
> That and I just ate a half a loaf of bread.
> 
> Yeah, I'm an adult.


	4. Chapter 4

"How long is he going to be gone?" The paladin's voice broke through Christophe's silent musings, making the brunet look up at him.

"A couple of days, assuming that asshole survives. Though, knowing my luck, he always does." Christophe capped his waterskin after filling it in the stream they had stopped at. Gregory had decided that Christophe would take the group to the nearest town and investigate there. If this curse didn't die at the village that had been razed to the ground, then other nearby towns would be in danger. According to the map Gregory had left with him, the next town was a small logging village, something the kingdom would easily miss if they went silent. The royal court had always been a sore spot for Christophe, no matter how long time passed, things always seemed to remain the same in some way.

Just listening to the two kings in his company bicker nonstop was proof enough of that. Both wouldn't admit defeat, too stubborn and prideful, neither would admit they were wrong. Christophe tolerated Leopold and Stan a little better, though in reality Christophe didn't particularly like anyone. Leopold was more humble but he tended to let others walk all over him quite often, which irritated Christophe to no end. Stan was more reasonable in arguments, down to earth and maybe a little jaded, but he could be just as stubborn as the kings. 

For now, they had decided to take a break for a bit of food, Stan had gone off hunting, Kyle was foraging around for any food nature would give him while Eric sat on a stump, no surprise there. The entire trip the wizard king had offered no help and Christophe was half tempted to ditch him if he wasn't under Gregory's orders. These four were under his care and if Gregory did survive, then Christophe would never hear the end of it. Christophe took a seat on the grass, taking a moment to relax and let the horses graze a little, waiting for Stan to come back before starting up a lunch. Leopold handed Eric a waterskin, in which the wizard king drank heftily from it, as if walking to the stream had been too much effort for him.

"So, uh, Christophe sir. You said called the dragons something I didn't understand, what sort of language was that, if you don't mind me asking that is." Leopold sat down next to Christophe, not too close, after the last time he'd got close, he ended up getting punched which hadn't felt too great.

"A dead language, so its not fuckin' important anymore. A honor bestowed upon me by my family." Christophe's tone was heavy on sarcasm as he plucked out blades of grass from the ground idly to pass the time. "And don't even ask for me to teach you, kid, I'm not doin' it."

"O... Oh, I wasn't gonna'." Leopold's passive nature basically made him roll over, making Christophe snort a bit. "Though, you and the Councilor sure do seem to know a lot about dragons. They didn't teach us much about them at the Church, so I was wonderin' if you would, uh, maybe tell me about them a little?"

"Why do you want to know? They're beasts and you kill them, end of fuckin' story." Christophe flicked a bit of grass into the air, watching them hurriedly flutter down to the ground again.

"Well, you see, I came on this adventure to-"

"Impress someone. Always thinking with your dicks."

"N-No! I mean... sort of. I want to become stronger for someone special. People think I'm stupid and don't know nothing about the world. So, it would help me a lot if I knew more." Leopold seemed to be stumbling over his words, further proof that this whole trip was a wash for Christophe. This wasn't a team of well equipped adventurers, all greenhorn in the ways of a true war. However, Gregory had seen something in them that would be useful somehow in their travels, so Christophe would have to put up with it.

"I'll tell you, since I don't have anything fuckin' else to do at the moment. But you better listen closely because I'm not telling it again, you hear me?" Christophe waited until the paladin nodded his head rapidly in agreement. "I lot of hundreds of years ago, I don't remember the exact damn number but it was a long ass time, the world was ruled by royalty. No surprise there, except the royal classes were, you fuckin' guessed it, dragons."

"How'd the dragons fit in the castles? Or were the castles built really big?"

"Don't interrupt me, damn it. They really didn't teach you idiots anything, did they? Dragons can assume different forms, depending on their tastes. Most of 'em looked like elves, but elves didn't exist at the time. You see when a daddy dragon fucks a mommy human, you get a pointy eared human. Which eventually they called themselves elves. Though, probably shouldn't bring that bit up, they get their panties in a twist about it. Being derived from humans and all, though the dragon side explains their..." Christophe waved his hand as if to conjure up the word he was looking for. "Dickishness."

"Anyways, the dragons were real assholes, killing humans without much hesitation. They had parties about killing humans sometimes. However, there was one major flaw with dragons, they were all alphas, so you can see that this would be a problem for wanting heirs and such. So they'd abduct omega humans, it became a big ordeal, the more omegas a dragon had in their harems, the more impressive they appeared. Sorta' like a damn status symbol." Christophe pause to take a sip from his waterskin, it had been a while since he had talked so much, but it did interest him to tell the tale, to see his listeners balk at the history their ancestors had tried to sweep under the rug.

"Even with omegas, it was very rare that one would give birth to a dragon and not a elf. So the more omegas meant the better the chance. But taking omegas from their families and partners, well, you can see how that'd stir up a revolt."

"So the alphas and betas stirred up an army and rescued the omegas?" Leopold seemed to be at the edge of his metaphorical seat, it appeared the kid enjoyed a good heroic tale.

"Sure, they tried, but dragons aren't the type that one can easily slay with pure determination and a sword. These weren't trained mean, Under the rule of the dragons, there had been no wars, no need for soldiers. They were simply fuckers with pitchforks and torches. They didn't stand a chance." Christophe leaned forward, drawing in close to Leopold to add more to the atmosphere. "No, the dragons were all too aware of the humans outside their gates that they paid little mind to the omegas within their very rooms. It took time but eventually, the harem members of the dragons all coordinated a single attack while their master's slept."

Christophe jabbed out a hand as if stabbing Leopold into the chest, making the paladin cry out in surprise and stumble back. Christophe stood up, looking down at Leopold as the paladin lay on the ground, frightened by the story, by the look on Christophe's face as if the man was intent on murdering him. "As midnight struck, the dragons were stabbed repeatedly by their own concubines. Over and over until their bodies were nothing more than fuckin' piles of gore. In one single night, an empire fell. So, that's why, kid, you don't ever underestimate a person. Don't let your guard down for anything or else you'll get killed. Got it?"

Leopold nodded hastily, scrambling away from Christophe as the man took another drink from his waterskin. Green eyes turned to the one listener who had been unusually quiet during his tale. "Well, got something to fuckin' say, fuck face?" Christophe growled, though the wizard king didn't have to say anything for Christophe to know what was likely on his mind. The smug look, as if he knew something that no one else didn't. Though the smug look turned to ire from being called a insult.

"I'm just not stupid enough to fall for some goat farmer's mad fairy tales. Dragons? Ruling the world? Only idiots would believe that, dragons are nothing but stupid beasts. Not to mention the crown jewel of omegas doing anything worthwhile, but I do like the idea of a harem of them." Eric snorted in amusement, cocky as usual.

"Wow, you really are running for asshole of the year with that spiel. You get your fuckin' king title from actual wizardry or being the most loathsome scumbag ever." Christophe snorted as the wizard stood up quickly as if to fight him, he supposed a lot fed into this male's ego. A human holding magic was a very rare thing, but not completely unheard of. In the wrong hands, it could go straight to their heads, people feared magic and for good reason. Christophe on the other hand, didn't fear shit.

"Watch who you're talking to, goat fucker. I'm a wizard king, I'll turn you into a fucking frog if I want!" Eric held up his staff a little to indicate he was tempted, but Christophe knew the only reason he hesitated was he wanted Christophe to beg and grovel which wasn't something he did. Instead, Christophe did the exact opposite and took a step forward, reaching out and seizing the wizard king by the front of his shirt. He had just enough strength to force the heftier male onto his toes. Fearing that he might choke as the fabric of his tunic tightened around his throat, Eric dropped his staff and grabbed at Christophe's arm, trying in vain to pry him off.

"You think I'm scared of a squealing pig like you? If not for your Councilor, you'd be rotting away on your throne, ruling over a festering kingdom. I suggest from now on you keep your mouth shut or I'll toss you to the fuckin' dragons, got it?" Christophe's lips curled in a aggravated snarl, so tempted to strangle the life out of this man. However, another pair of hands grabbed at his arm, glowing faintly with a holy light. 

Instantly, Christophe jerked back his arm, tearing his glare away from the wizard king and onto the paladin. "Don't ever touch me like that again, kid. Not unless you want to keep those damn hands of yours." Leopold looked startled by the reaction, holding up his hands in surrender. It likely wasn't his intention to offend Christophe, just to defuse the situation but Christophe needed to nip that in the bud quickly.

Tension was high in the temporary camp when the sound of footsteps neared, revealing Stan and Kyle returning. Christophe took hold of the interruption to break the tension and turn their focus on the travel ahead. Kyle seemed to have managed to collect a decent amount of herbs and berries to cook with while Stan had managed to hunt down a few rabbits. At least when they made camp for nightfall they would have a halfway decent meal. 

"Get everything tied to the saddles, we can't linger any longer. The quicker we get to this damn town, the better." Christophe directed as he moved to his dark bay horse who exhaled a sigh as if not really ready to leave yet. However, Christophe tossed the reins over the horse's neck and pulled himself up onto the saddle in one fluid motion. Riding horses wasn't something he was used to, but Gregory had taught him how to ride properly, back before everything happened. 

Christophe turned his head, looking up at the nearby mountains that skirted the forest. Gregory had headed off there, knowing mountains were favored areas of dragons. Christophe still regretted letting Gregory go by himself, but with Christophe being an omega, he would likely only cause more problems than solve them with his presence. For now, he had to do the one thing he swore he'd never do again, and that was to trust Gregory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, this is where I give a really good excuse, but...
> 
> I was watching Markiplier's live streams and you know
> 
> YOLO


End file.
